Former Iranian President Ahmadinejad Appears at Khamenei Memorial Amid Reports of House Arrest

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was seen attending a memorial event for Ali Khamenei, the Iranian leader reportedly assassinated in February by Israel and the United States. This appearance comes amid reports that Ahmadinejad is under house arrest. According to a New York Times report, during the early days of the conflict between Israel and Iran, Israel attempted a dramatic rescue operation to free Ahmadinejad from house arrest, but it ultimately failed.

The report also revealed that former Mossad chief David Barnea personally traveled to Budapest in 2024 to meet with Ahmadinejad, later informing the CIA about the contact. In recent years, Israel secretly funded Ahmadinejad’s residences and travels, with agents meeting him multiple times outside Iran, including in Budapest. Former U.S. officials have indicated that the Mossad chief’s direct involvement underscores the high importance of recruiting Ahmadinejad.

Four senior Iranian officials told the New York Times that Ahmadinejad is currently under house arrest, supervised by the Revolutionary Guards’ intelligence division, after Iran exposed much of his ties with Israel. However, it remains unclear whether his house arrest is genuine, a regime show, or if he was acting as a double agent.